Local arson canine in the running for America's hero dog

S.A. arson investigator Justin Davis and Kai have worked together for the past four years.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya / San Antonio Express-News

SAN ANTONIO — Kai, San Antonio's arson dog, is in the running to be honored as one of the nation's top canines.

The 6-year-old black Labrador is one of 18 dogs vying for the 2014 American Humane Association Hero Dog Award. Residents are allowed to vote, once a day, through June 6 at herodogawards.org.

Other categories include law enforcement, service dogs, therapy dogs, military dogs, guide/hearing dogs, search and rescue dogs and emerging hero dogs. Winners are scheduled to be announced in September. The overall winner will be awarded $5,000 toward a chosen charity partner.

Elle the Pit Bull, a therapy dog from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, was last year's Hero Dog. In 2012, Gabe, a service dog, credited with 210 combat missions in Iraq, took top honors.

Kai, an accelerant detection canine, has worked with arson investigator Justin Davis for the past four years in the Arson Bureau of the San Antonio Fire Department. They have worked on 200 fire and bomb related investigations across the city and Bexar County. She's trained to find miniscule traces of flammable liquids within minutes. Davis said evidence is always confirmed through laboratory tests.

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Kai, originally a stray dog, was saved from a shelter when a worker at the Humane Society of Central Illinois saw her jump into a huge toy box and find the only tennis ball in the bin. The worker called a trainer who assessed her skills and entered her into a State Farm Arson Dog Program.

“She's a perfect example of what a shelter dog can accomplish if given the right opportunity,” Davis said.

In addition to a regular caseload, Davis and Kai make local appearances. Davis speaks about fire safety to small children and at college-level forensic classes.

Davis, 44, said if Kai wins, a donation would be made in her name to Project Paws Alive, a nonprofit that provides life-saving equipment to K-9 law enforcement units.

Their relationship goes beyond investigating charred scenes. At the end of each day, Kai makes the trip home, where she's a treasured member of Davis' family.

“Having a canine is a lot of fun,” he said. “It's almost like having a baby; you have to know they're healthy and safe.”

Vincent T. Davis started at the San Antonio Express-News in 1999 as a part-time City Desk Editorial Assistant working nights and weekends while attending San Antonio College and working on the staff of the campus newspaper, The Ranger. He completed a 3-month fellowship from the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University in 2003 and earned his bachelors degree in communication design from Texas State University in 2006.